Des Moines, Iowa FORMER TENNESSEE SENATOR Fred Thompson has decided to take his campaign and virtually all of its resources to Iowa in an all-or-nothing attempt to register a strong showing in the caucuses here on January 3. "We're getting ready to make this not only our second home, but our first home," he told a small gathering of supporters at the Polk County Convention Center on Friday night. Thompson and his wife Jeri chatted with the crowd before making their way through the exhibits at the Iowa Farm Bureau's annual meeting in downtown Des Moines.

Beginning Monday, December 17, Thompson will launch a bus tour that will take him throughout the state. From the beginning of that trip through caucus night, Thompson will essentially live in Iowa, taking only a one-day trip out of the state to celebrate Christmas at his home in Virginia.

Thompson has said publicly that he needs to finish in the top three in Iowa. Campaign officials say that a strong third place finish--presumably behind new frontrunner Mike Huckabee and former frontrunner Mitt Romney--would likely give them enough momentum to survive New Hampshire and compete in South Carolina and beyond. A second place finish would be a victory. "Just when the interest is there the greatest, is when we'll be here the most."

Neither McCain nor Giuliani appears to be making a major effort in Iowa, though there are persistent reports that Giuliani is doing whatever under-the-radar things he can--like mail--to keep his name in circulation without looking like he's trying too hard. That leaves Thompson alone to compete with Romney and Huckabee, two candidates without national security experience, in Iowa.

Thompson has said publicly that he needs to finish in the top three in Iowa. Campaign officials say that a strong third place finish--presumably behind new frontrunner Mike Huckabee and former frontrunner Mitt Romney--would likely give them enough momentum to survive New Hampshire and compete in South Carolina and beyond.

He is still up there in the polls and the MSM still skips his name when reporting.

Smart move, IMHO - The MSM will of course hang Thompson if he doesn’t caucus well, but it’s where the political reporters are camping out and you can only write so many lines of copy about Romney and Huckster before your eyes begin to bleed.

I don't need schooled in the Zen of Fred. I was beating his war drums in 1999. But in the lemming-like primary process, you have to preen and show your plumage in a more cavalier manner, lest ye be left lurking in the shadows.

16
posted on 12/08/2007 4:29:20 PM PST
by Viking2002
(Waterboarding the Left every chance I get.)

Rudy and Mitt had fallen against Huck faster than I thought. I was of the idea it would be another 2 weeks before we would see what we have as of now.

I think they see it too. Strike while the iron is hot and like all good tacticians, be prepared to change battlefields to your advantage. I thought they would fall back to SC. I think they see a shot of taking it even sooner.

19
posted on 12/08/2007 4:34:46 PM PST
by ejonesie22
(In America all people have a right to be wrong, some just exercise it a bit much...)

“I went to sleep during the last 20 minutes or so of the Patriots vs. the Ravens.”

You missed some good football! One of the advantages of being stuck on the left coast. It wasn’t so late over here.

About this constant thing we hear about Fred being late or too late...

I hope that’s not the case. Is it really being late if everyone else is jumping out way early? There’s only so much cash to spend on campaigns and the quicker you start spending it, the harder it gets to keep any around for a strong finish.

20
posted on 12/08/2007 4:35:01 PM PST
by Grimmy
(equivocation is but the first step along the road to capitulation)

On other thought occurred to me. They maybe seeing the possibility of a Huck implosion on the near horizon, much sooner than they had hoped, so maybe it has forced a move in a way. No need to go backwards just because Huck could not sustain.

22
posted on 12/08/2007 4:38:18 PM PST
by ejonesie22
(In America all people have a right to be wrong, some just exercise it a bit much...)

The folks in Iowa and just now paying attention and they are tired of Romney and Juliani, don’t want McCain, so they resort to Huckabee. When FRED gets their attention, there will be no contest. FRED will sweep Iowa, screw New Hampshire, sweep Michigan then Wyoming, then South Carolina, and Florida. Optimism is the name of the game now. The DB MSM will NOT choose our President.

WE THE PEOPLE asked him to step up and now WE THE PEOPLE will elect him as our President!

25
posted on 12/08/2007 4:43:34 PM PST
by Bobbisox
(ALL AMERICAN GRANDMA FREEPER FredHEAD! The Hunt for a FRED November is on! Don't be fooled!)

FRed's doin' fine in SC. A big showing in Ia would give him a bump in NH, WY, Fl, and SC. He's on target, and gettin' deadly serious now. FRed is the trusit of the true, he has never wavered, never faltered, never given in. He is the Conservative choice for America!

Give 'em hell, FRed!

Security.Unity. Prosperity. FRed Thompson in '08

31
posted on 12/08/2007 4:56:52 PM PST
by papasmurf
(FRed Thompson is head and shoulders above the rest. Vote for America, vote for FRed!)

Study your lines, speak plain and simple, lay off the cigars for a week, get your nose off your notes and look to the crowd, crank it up a notch, and go Fred go, make a good showing, Fred. Am rooting for you to shine and to ooze conservatism. Otherwise, will vote for the Repub. nominee whoever it may be. You couldn’t possibly do any worse that Obama did today. Relax up there, and enjoy the show. Lot’s of us behind you.

And Fred does not have to win Iowa to accomplish his goal. If he takes any decent percentage from Huckabee, he demonstrates that Huckabee is not invincible. As with the taking down of Rudy in the last week or so, that’s all it takes to start a slide. People line up with the one they think is inevitable. If the one at the top begins to look a little vulnerable, they rethink and the door opens.

While I am NOT a Fred Thompson fan, this is good news for the Republican Party. A robust Thompson campaign would make ALL of the candidates look better as Thompson (like him or not) is on the right side of virtually every issue.

If Thompson starts to act like he ACTUALLY CARES about winning, then he might still have a chance at the nomination. Personally, I’m still not convinced that he DOES, or CAN, care in the traditional sense of the word, but this ‘all-in’ effort in Iowa is a huge step in the right direction.

Having ANY candidate appear lackluster and sluggish is a major drain on the overall discourse, so I will be very happy to see Thompson get his butt in gear and start to act like he really wants to be President.

I think hes concluded he must make a showing in Iowa to do well in SC.

That is the key question. If Fred has some scientific evidence which strongly suggests it, then Iowa would be the place to be now. But I still have a hunch that he would do better in the long term if he invested his time in South Carolina right now.

For a couple of years, I've been telling my colleagues on FR Arkansas forum that Huckabee was going to run an Iowa strategy, and he would run strong there. So far, that prediction has been accurate.

If the Steelers do end up beating the Patriots tomorrow, then I predict that Rush Limbaugh will talk some about it on his show on Monday. Rush likes to talk about the Steelers whenever they win their games.

Fred Thompson is the closest thing to a true conservative out of all of the top tier GOP Presidential candidates, and if Fred and Duncan Hunter would just form a ticket and run together, then it would truly be a good thing for all of conservatism throughout the U.S.! I truly believe that most conservative voters throughout the U.S. would get excited about a Fred Thompson/Duncan Hunter GOP Presidential ticket!

Thats a big FRED THOMPSON (true Conservative Federalist) - NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERIENCE (I’ll do whatever it takes to stop the bastards) - 2ND AMENDMENT ADVOCATE (arm everyone and the criminals will back off) - SECURE THE BORDERS (starve the bastards and they will go home) - LAW AND ORDER (enforcement first and foremost) - SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM (the program can’t sustain itself) - DEFEAT THE DEMOCRAT (any fool they put up) - PING!

However, I’m not so sure this was not his plan all along. FRED did not get in too late...people who have been paying attention in Iowa have heard all that Rudy and Romney have had to say. All but FRED have been in since the beginning and look where all that money spent by these campaigns have gotten them. I am beginning to think that this was all part of the master plan. I don’t believe he expected Huckelberry to jump into the lead, I feel he thought he would be chasing Romney and Rudy.

In the alternative, if FRED has to whip ever damn one of them ...so be it! WE THE PEOPLE have had it with the DB MSM choice they have made for us.

49
posted on 12/08/2007 5:37:45 PM PST
by Bobbisox
(ALL AMERICAN GRANDMA FREEPER FredHEAD! The Hunt for a FRED November is on! Don't be fooled!)

Thats a big FRED THOMPSON (true Conservative Federalist) - NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERIENCE (I’ll do whatever it takes to stop the bastards) - 2ND AMENDMENT ADVOCATE (arm everyone and the criminals will back off) - SECURE THE BORDERS (starve the bastards and they will go home) - LAW AND ORDER (enforcement first and foremost) - SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM (the program can’t sustain itself) - DEFEAT THE DEMOCRAT (any fool they put up) - PING!

50
posted on 12/08/2007 5:38:52 PM PST
by Bobbisox
(ALL AMERICAN GRANDMA FREEPER FredHEAD! The Hunt for a FRED November is on! Don't be fooled!)

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